Changing Destiny
by Io Europa 2010
Summary: What if Raven took her destiny to end the world into her own hands? What would happen, and how would the Titans react? And how can things be set right? [Completed & Revised!]
1. Chapter 1

**Changing Destiny**

**Chapter One**

Raven sat in her room, in complete solitude. She had her hood up, concealing the stoic expression on her face. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, yet her face showed no emotion. She was trying to be as calm about her situation as possible.

She stroked the smooth, metal barrel of the 9mm Beretta she held in her hand. She had bought it in secret from a nondescript gun shop yesterday. She had dressed in normal civilian clothes, so as not to attract attention, as if her pale skin and violet colored hair weren't enough (she wore a headband to conceal the jewel on her forehead). She used her credit card for the purchase. Being such a run down and out of the way place, an extensive background check wasn't done by the clerk; just a simple look to see if she had a police record, which she obviously didn't. She had seen the place before on her patrols, and so knew she could get a weapon and ammo in a single day.

Now, she had her prize. She snuck it into the Tower, the weapon still in the paper bag, unnoticed. Why would her friends suspect her of brining a gun to her home? Why indeed.

That was nearly twenty-four hours ago. Since then, Raven spent as much time with the other Titans as she could, without trying to be suspicious. She went over the times she spent with them in her mind several times now. Now she experienced her final hours with them, and cherished every moment of it. Even Beast Boy's antics were memorable.

She looked out the window. It was sunset, the sky turning a marvelous shade of crimson. She felt as if the sun was setting on her own life as well.

"Nice way to spend my last night." she said to herself.

As the sun finally sank below the horizon, she got up. It was time now. She only had one more person to see. Well, technically two people, but one was a statue. She hoped that would change after tonight. She took the gun along with a bundle of her own clothes, a pair of shoes, a flashlight, and an envelope with her. She enveloped herself in black energy and flew off. There was no turning back now.

A few minutes later, Raven had teleported into a dark, damp cavern. She turned on the flashlight and saw the familiar statue, still standing in its outstretched pose. She was exactly where she wanted to be. She set down the bundle of clothes and the shoes in a depression of rock nearby. She put the envelope inside one of the sneakers and paced the cavern.

She shined her flashlight around the cavern, stopping where a deep hole in the ground that looked as if something crashed out of it.

"So," she said to herself. "This is where it began."

She looked around, decided where she stood was good a place as any. Using her powers, she made the design of a fiery 'S' in the ground.

"I hope I know what I'm doing!" she murmured.

A flaming figure of a tall man then appeared, crashing in from above!

"Hello, Raven!" said Slade. "Nice to see you again!"

She glared at him, saying nothing. He eyed her closely.

"I must say, I was impressed with your performance back at the library! A taste of what is yet to come for you!"

She still was silent.

"Aren't you going to say anything, my dear?" he asked.

Raven looked Slade in the eye. "I hate you." she deadpanned. "You ruin my life. And you ruin other people's lives."

She pointed to the statue as an example.

Slade looked at Terra. "Ah! My former apprentice!" he laughed. "She was the first of your victims, Raven!"

She glared at him. "She was corrupted by _you_! She died in saving us! If anyone killed her, it was you!"

Tears flowed out of her eyes.

"Oh, Raven, did I hurt your feelings?" Slade said, sarcastically. "You never trusted her. Now look what has become of her because of you!"

Raven grinded her teeth together in anger. "I'm tired of your bullshit, Slade." she said to him. "Time to end this!"

She pulled out the gun from her belt. Slade stared at it with his single eye, and then chuckled.

"You know, it's been a while since I've been threatened with a gun. I never thought a Teen Titan would be my new assailant, least of all you."

Raven smiled as she flipped the safety off. She then pulled back the slide, chambering a round, and then aimed at his chest.

"This is for my friends!" she yelled.

She fired five rounds at him, a slight pause between each shot.

"That's for each of the Titans, including Terra!" she explained. "And _this_ is for _me_!"

She shot him in the forehead, obliterating the mark that was that of her father. Slade fell to his knees, but still lived.

One by one, the bullets were pushed out of him and the wounds closed with a hint of flame. It was as if each wound was burned, but the event played in reverse so as to close up the injury! Raven expected that.

"I must say Raven," Slade said, standing up. "That was invigorating."

She smiled. "Thanks."

Slade was a bit surprised by her reaction.

"I've been doing some thinking, Slade." she continued. "I know I'm the portal, the key. But suppose something happened to the key, where it was lost. What then?"

Slade glared at her. "I bet you and my father would be fucked, right?"

Slade appeared to have an expression of concern. "What are you thinking of, Raven?"

"About changing my destiny."

"We've been through this so many times, it's boring me, Raven. You can't stop your destiny."

"That's what you want me to believe. But I can!" She flashed a toothy grin at him, one of near insanity. "I know the way! I know how to save the world and my friends!"

Slade laughed. "You can't even save yourself! What makes you think that?"

"I'll show you! I'll do it right here, right now!"

She pointed the gun at Slade's knees and fired. He collapsed, resting his weight on his arms and almost fell over on his side. Raven ensured he did by shooting another round into his left arm.

"You know, Raven." he began, the wounds starting to heal. "This _is_ getting annoying."

She glared at him. "Just sending a message to you and my father."

"Oh really? And what is that, if I may ask?"

"Fuck my destiny!"

With that, she pointed the gun at the jewel on her forehead and fired.

Slade's expression was now of terror and disbelief. "NO!" he screamed.

A gory shower of skin, blood, pieces of the gem, and bone were emitted from the shot. Raven stood for a moment with a slight grin on her face. Then she collapsed to the ground, blood flowing out of the wound. Slade managed to stand over her.

"No! I failed you, master! I failed you!"

The runes on Raven's body that were placed by Slade now glowed bright red. Then, they all left her body like wisps of smoke. The emblem on Slade's forehead also glowed brightly. Then he felt pain as his master now spoke.

"The key is lost! The portal destroyed! You failed! You failed!" he roared. "This is not how it was supposed to be! No!"

With that, the ghostly figure of Trigon had vanished from Earth, this time for good.

Slade's body, meanwhile, blazed with fire, as if he spontaneously combusted. Flames came out of his mask from the eye hole and mouth piece. He then fell to the ground and burned to a cinder.

Raven still was conscious to see all this. She knew it was all good. Now, she was free of her father's influence. 'Only one thing left.' she thought.

With her last bit of life force, she freed her soul self. Her soul, in the form of a large raven, faced the figure of Terra. With a burst of power, she enveloped her in her dark energy and exerted all her powers upon her. A loud screech from Raven's soul echoed throughout the caverns.

After a moments pause, the stone figure of Terra burst into light. The rock glowed and vanished, leaving only flesh. When the light subsided, Terra collapsed to the ground. Raven managed to see her handy work. She felt a sense of accomplishment and absolution. "Goodbye!" she whispered to Terra.

With that, her soul left her body for good.

Terra managed to stir after a minute or two. "Where am I?" she said aloud.

She looked around. She saw what seemed to be Slade's body, but was too burnt for her to tell. She then noticed Raven, lying down with a gunshot wound to her head. She gasped at the sight. She managed to find her balance as she walked toward her rescuer. Tears flowed from her eyes.

"Oh, Raven! Please! Don't be dead!"

But when she got to her, she saw it was too late already. Terra collapsed next to her, sobbing, her tears falling on Raven's cloak.

After a minute or two, she examined the rest of the cave. She noticed a bundle of clothes and a pair of shoes. Instinctively, Terra looked at herself and saw she was naked. She rushed over to the bundle. She assumed the clothes belonged to Raven. 'So she planned this, then.' she thought.

The clothes seemed the right size for her. Reluctantly, though, she stepped into a fresh pair of underwear Raven had also provided. Terra wondered if they were hers and hoped they weren't used. She then smacked herself in the head for thinking such a stupid, mundane thought.

She quickly dressed in the clothes, and was about to put on her shoes when she saw the letter in one of them. She took it out; the words 'To Terra' was written on it. She noticed Raven's flashlight on the ground and picked it up to illuminate the message. Terra opened the envelope and read the letter.

_Dear Terra,_

_By the time you read this, I most likely will be dead, and my plan accomplished. _

_I should explain it all to you. You see, Slade returned to life some months ago. His exact purpose, I was unclear to, but it seemed to be to allow me to fulfill my destiny, which was to destroy the world. You see, I was the portal for my father, Trigon, to come to Earth and destroy all mortal life. Slade must have been a servant of a sort to him. _

_I told the other Titans of my true destiny, and they vowed to help ensure it wouldn't happen. Well, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I realized that without me, Trigon would have no way to come to Earth, and thus the end of the world wouldn't happen. The only way to keep him from coming was to destroy the portal; that is, destroy myself. I knew it would cause pain and grief for my friends, but at least the world would be safe. I felt that was worth sacrificing my life for. So, I made a plan. And, by now, it has been carried out. I also figured that since Slade was brought to life by my father, my death would also cause him to be destroyed, as my father's influence over him would be lost. This would also bring justice for what he did to you. _

_Finally, I figured that with my last bit of life energy, I could restore you to life. I sincerely hope it works. I have a feeling that the suit Slade gave you would be destroyed in the transformation, so I am also providing a change of clothes for you._

_As my last wishes, I would like you to inform the Titans of what has transpired here. Let them know that I always loved them all, and that I wish the best for them in their lives. _

_I hope that Cyborg will find someone special to settle down with, and for Robin and Starfire to be happy together. And I hope you and Beast Boy will get together again, and live a happy life. _

_As for myself, I wish to be cremated, and for my ashes to be scattered in the bay. Ensure all my books are locked away in secure storage. No one must obtain my book collection. The portal to my mind that Beast Boy and Cyborg discovered will be useless, so they can keep it as a memento of me. _

_These are my wishes, so please respect them. My time is almost at an end. All will be safe, shortly. Live a good, long life, my friends. In whatever afterlife awaits me, I will be watching over you. _

_Love, Raven._

Tears streamed from Terra's eyes as she read over the part concerning Raven's wishes again. She felt angry that Raven wanted _her_ to explain everything, rather than address it to the Titans. Then again, she was just brought back to life by her. Perhaps it was just as well she tell them, as Raven's sacrifice brought her to life. She returned the favor she herself had done, almost a year earlier. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to bring back Raven, as she brought her back.

Sobbing, Terra got up with the letter in hand. She folded it and put it in her pocket. She walked over to Raven's body and sat next to it. She reached over to her face and closed her now glossy eyes, and then adjusted her hood to cover her face. She used the cloak to cover the rest of the body as best she could. When she was done, she sat down again, laying an arm on Raven.

Her mind raced on how to let the Titans know that their teammate and friend was gone, while another had returned. It was a tough problem, but not the end of the world. Terra nearly laughed at that, as Raven _had_ prevented the end of the world now. Still, she didn't even think she deserved life, not after all she had done.

Her eyes traveled and saw Raven's gun, lying next to her outstretched hand. Her dead fingers were barely touching it. Terra considered using it on herself, but quickly pushed that thought aside. She couldn't do that, not with the sacrifice Raven had made. Instead, she took the gun, made a deep hole in the ground and set it in there to bury it. When she finished, her mind turned to the difficult issue at hand. To make the Titans see Raven's sacrifice as she wanted them to was going to be problematic and stressful.

She wasn't quite sure what their reactions would be or how to break it to them. But she would think of something.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Terra stood on the shoreline, gazing at the site across the bay; Titans Tower. She dreaded the task that laid ahead, the task of telling the other Titans that Raven was dead. How would they take it? How would they react to her return and Raven's loss? 'Don't think about it.' she thought. 'Just do it.'

Using her powers, she tore a chuck of rock just large enough for her to stand on and flew it over to the tower.

Once on the island, she let the rock fall. She felt exhausted, drained, and hungry. She walked to the entrance to the tower. She picked up a fist sized rock and pounded it on the steel doors and waited.

Inside the tower, the Titans were awakened by the security alarms. Each of them convened in the hallway on the ground level, all in their sleepwear.

"Anyone seen Raven?" asked Robin.

"Not yet." Cyborg said. "Can't wait for her, though. Let's get this guy!"

He typed a command into a nearby control that opened the door. The Titans were ready to face whatever it was. The figured walked inside and…

"Terra!" they all exclaimed.

The young girl stood in the hall, dazed by the bright lights. The Titans ran to her, with Beast Boy in the lead. They surrounded her in an effort to give her a hug.

"We missed you, formally deceased friend!" Starfire said.

"Yeah, it's great to have you back!" Beast Boy added.

"Just how _did_ you get back?" Robin asked.

"Who cares?" Cyborg said. "This calls for a celebration!"

Beast Boy then ran to the elevator. "I'm gonna get Raven! She'll be _so_ surprised!"

"She knows already." Terra said, with an air of sadness.

"What? How?" the changeling asked.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you in the lounge."

Rather confused, the Titans boarded the elevator and rode it to the lounge. They entered, where Terra sat down in the dining area. Robin stared at her.

"Now, what's the story Terra? Where's Raven?"

"First, I want something to eat. I'm starved." she replied.

"Story!"

"Story be damned! I'm starved and exhausted!"

Cyborg went into the mini-fridge and obtained a box of fried chicken and a can of Coke. He set them in front of Terra. She attacked the chicken with such a ravenous appetite that it unnerved Beast Boy. She pushed the box away when she finished. Cyborg examined the contents to see what was left. To his surprise, Terra had eaten it all!

"Sorry I yelled at you." Terra said after she finished off her Coke. "I was just starved."

"I see." Robin said, tersely. "So, what's going on? And where's Raven?"

Terra sighed. "Well, it's….that is, it's rather difficult to explain."

She sighed again, this time with tears in her eyes. She took Raven's letter out of her pocket.

"It'll be easier if I just read this letter she left for me."

The Titans all sat down, dreading what was to come.

As Terra read the letter, the other Titans stared at her, dumbfounded and in tears. None could believe that their friend, a fellow Titan, had done such a thing, such an unspeakable thing! Were anyone else besides Terra reading the letter, they wouldn't have believed it.

When she finished reading, she looked around at the Titans. All of their faces were streaked with tears, an expression of disbelief on their faces.

"Why?" whispered Beast Boy. "Why didn't she trust us to help her? Why did she have to kill herself?"

Robin was panting from emotional stress. "I should've looked after her. I should've been with her more, pried into her mind and tried to help." Tears flowed down his face.

Starfire sat next to him, her arm around his shoulder. She was silent, tears running down her face. She was reminiscing over the moments she had shared being with Raven, the friendship they shared. Now, that friendship was gone. Had it meant nothing to Raven, their friendship? Starfire turned over these thoughts in her mind.

Cyborg also was silent. He felt not only that he lost a fellow team member, nor just a friend. He felt as if he lost a family member, a sister. He felt much the same as Robin; that he wasn't there enough times for her. Tears flowed freely out of his real eye.

Terra watched the others for a minute of so of their musings before finally speaking.

"Um, don't you think we ought to make arrangements?"

Robin glared at her. "What arrangements?" he said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Arrangements to honor Raven's wishes. You know, cremation and packing up her things?"

"That's not really sensitive of you, you know." Robin replied. "How about a time for mourning?"

"I know you all need to mourn her, but right now her body is still in the cavern, and…"

Beast Boy interrupted her. "Her body's still there? Well, why didn't you tell us?"

"I never got the chance."

"Well, at least we can go there and see her one last time! Come on!" He stood up.

"Wait, Beast Boy!" Terra exclaimed. "I should warn you all, it's not a pretty picture."

"I do not care!" Starfire yelled. "I wish to say my goodbyes to our friend, just as we had to do with you."

Terra winced. "Okay then, Star. Come on, everyone. I think you all need this." The Titans could only nod in agreement.

They took the elevator to the garage level and got in the T-car. Terra sat in what was normally Raven's spot. No one said a word as they sped across the bay toward the mainland, on their way to say farewell to another friend, this time for good.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Terra lead the Titans through the underground caverns, which were illuminated by Cyborg's light. To Beast Boy, it was reminiscent of when they went to pay respects to Terra. That seemed a lifetime ago. Now, she was with them, but Raven was not. They not only were seeing their friend for perhaps the last time, but also to arrange to fulfill her wishes. A new wave of sadness crept over Beast Boy and he started to cry again.

Once they entered, Terra stepped aside to allow the Titans an unobstructed view of the cavern. The rest of the Titans took a stance on either side of Cyborg so they could get a clear view in his light. Robin noted a charred pile of cloth and pieces of armor. He looked at Terra and pointed to the mess.

"Slade, I think." she said to him.

Robin gingerly walked to the pile and used his bow staff to poke through it. His rummaging turned up a mask of a sort. He flipped it over and saw it was indeed Slade's mask. He sighed.

"You got what you deserved, you sick son of a bitch." he hissed.

He then turned to face the other Titans; they were standing over a body covered with a dark blue cloak.

"Raven..." he whispered.

The Titans did not uncover her; a feeling of apprehension overcame them. Terra looked at them.

"You want to see her?" she asked. The others looked at her.

"You do the...honors." said Cyborg tersely.

Terra slowly knelt next to Raven and in a quick motion, uncovered her. She heard the Titans gasp at the sight. Terra sighed and stared at their lost friend.

Raven's eyes were still closed. A small wound, little larger than a penny, was in place of the jewel that was on her forehead. A dried river of blood ran down her face in the direction she was laying. Despite the ghastly site, she seemed to be at peace. The Titans knelt toward her body. Robin noted a sickly, metallic odor, obviously from the blood. Tears welled up in his eyes once more.

"Oh, Raven!" Starfire exclaimed suddenly.

She embraced her lost friend, sobbing. Beast Boy joined her, as did Cyborg and then Robin. Terra reluctantly joined them in their group hug. Embracing a corpse once was enough for her. She wasn't looking forward to doing it again, but felt it was necessary in this case.

Afterward, Robin stood aside from the group and took out his communicator and called the police to pick up Raven's body. To make it easier for them, he told them to meet them by the T-car. No sense in making them find their way in the dark amongst the caverns, he thought.

With strain in his voice, he asked the Titans to carry Raven's body to the car. Starfire volunteered for the task, and carried her by herself. They left in silence and in sadness.

Once at the surface, the Titans saw the police were already waiting to take away Raven's body. They gave their condolences to the Titans before driving away.

Afterward, the Titans returned to the Tower. Once their, they all gathered in the lounge. They were too strained to return to bed, and just sat down in silence for nearly an hour.

"So, what happens now?" Beast Boy finally asked, breaking the silence.

"We make arrangements to have her cremated." said Robin. "Just as she wanted in her letter."

"And then?" the changeling asked.

"Then we follow the rest of her wishes."

"And then?

"And then _what_?"

"What about a funeral or a memorial?"

"We'll manage that."

"When?"

"When the time comes."

"How about I take care of that?"

"You?" Cyborg scoffed. "You can't even figure out how to program a DVD player!"

"Well, some _help_ would be appreciated then!"

"With you, you'll need all the help you can get."

"Hey, fuck off, Tin Man!"

"Drop dead, Toto!"

"_Stop it!_" screamed Starfire, angrily. "You are letting yourselves succumb to the Rekmus because of Raven's death! It is not what she would want!"

"Um, Star?" Terra asked. "What is a Rekmus?"

"It is 'the drifting'. It is when friends drift apart, and their friendship dies."

"Oh." She sighed, and glared at Cyborg and Beast Boy. "Well, Star's right. We can't let our anger over Raven's death overcome our friendship. We got to stick together, alright?"

"Right." Beast Boy said. "Sorry, Cy."

"Me too." he replied.

"Come on, Titans." Robin said, standing up. "We're all tired and strained. Let's get some sleep."

He left the lounge for his room. The other Titans soon followed suite, except for Terra.

She considered asking about her old room, but decided the Titans had enough to worry about. So, she turned off the lights in the room, took off her shoes, and slept on the sofa. As she drifted off to sleep, she knew that the next few days, if not the following week, would be the toughest for the Titans.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The Titans waited in the lounge. Robin had left earlier that day to pick up the urn that would contain Raven's ashes. It was an anxious moment for them. They had waited a day and a half for this moment. Now the time had arrived, and they were apprehensive. In a way, it was as if Raven was coming home again. The fact that she was now ashes, however, was an overwhelming thought.

Starfire was mostly concerned for her teammates. Cyborg and Beast Boy had not played a single video game since Terra had returned with her grim news. Nor had their appetites been the same. In fact, none of the Titans has had much to eat since that day. They had tried working out in the gym to alleviate their emotional pain, but with their reduced appetites, they lacked the strength to do so. Only that morning did they eat regularly, but it was without the usual gusto they displayed.

Starfire never thought she would feel as miserable as she did now. Despite Robin's reassurances, she feared that the Titans would soon experience the Rekmus. She remembered that when she jumped 20 years into the future, that the Titans' friendship broke apart. She didn't know just how long it took, but she felt that if something didn't change with the Titans now, history, _future_ history, would repeat itself. The thought brought a feeling of dread to her.

Just then, Robin entered the room. The Titans stood up and stared at him. In his hands, he carried a large urn, mostly undecorated, and dark blue in color.

"So, that's it, huh?" asked Beast Boy, sadly.

Robin nodded. He walked slowly in the kitchen and set the urn on the counter. He then set his elbows on the counter and stared at the urn. The others joined him.

Then, Robin slumped over. It was as if someone flipped a switch inside him; he lost all self control and began to weep uncontrollably in gasping, choking sobs.

"Should've have been there for her...should've been there!" he said.

He was shivering, as if in a state of shock. The Titans look at him with pity and with tears in their eyes.

"I shall take him to his room." Starfire said.

Cyborg nodded. Starfire cradled Robin in her arms and flew into the hallway. The other Titans stood in the kitchen for a minute or so.

"What do you make of that?" Terra said.

"He's crying for all of us." Cyborg said. "All the self control and strength he's had to show during his entire time as leader here, and it all comes down at a moment like this."

He sighed. "Kid has strength greater than any of us. Any lesser man would've given up a long time ago. But not Robin. He kept going, through good and bad. He hasn't won them all. A thing like this could bring anyone down."

He walked into the lounge area and sat down like a weary man. "Times like this, I wish I was twenty-one." he said.

"I hear you." Terra said.

Beast Boy merely wiped the tears out of his eyes.

"I need a moment..." he said, walking out of the lounge. He felt that he himself was about to loose his emotional control too.

Cyborg looked at Terra. "Go with him." he whispered.

She nodded and accompanied Beast Boy.

Cyborg was left alone now. He let out a heavy sigh, and then stood up. He went to the counter and took the urn and brought it with him to the sofa.

"Wanna play a game, Raven?" he said aloud, setting up the Gamestation. "No? Well, you can watch me get high score!"

He put the urn on an end table. "Like old times, huh?" he said, completely engrossed in the game.

In the hallway, Terra led Beast Boy to her room, rather than his. He had refurnished it the day before by himself. He left the plaque he made for her in there as a gift. She liked that. The rest of the furnishings she had done herself.

Not only did she want to show off her work, but also she considered Beast Boy's room too cluttered to share a moment. He did not protest against her decision. Once the door to her room closed, Beast Boy flung himself at Terra. "Oh, Terra!" he exclaimed.

He hugged her tightly, rubbing her back and kissing her. She did the same for him. He felt as if he was shuddering to her. 'He's probably close to a breakdown, like Robin.' she thought.

She led him to the bed and laid him down. She then took off his shoes as well as her own and laid next to him. "I with you, Beast Boy." she said, holding his hands. "I'm here."

He nodded at her, sobbing.

Starfire also brought Robin to her own room. She removed his shoes, utility belt, and cape. Then, not knowing why, she also removed his shirt. She laid him on the bed and stared at him.

She felt incredibly saddened at the sight, seeing her leader, not to mention her friend, in such a broken emotional state. Her eyes were already moist from when Robin _delivered_ Raven's ashes. Now more tears flowed down her face.

She took off her boots and got in bed with Robin. She encircled her arms around him from the back. He still was in a catatonic state. Starfire wanted to break him out of it, but was unsure what to do.

After almost a minute of thinking, she had an idea. She got out of bed and went to her dresser. From a metallic box, she pulled out a slender, metal device, somewhat similar to a syringe. She put a small vile of clear liquid into a compartment on the syringe and then held it to her arm. She pressed a button on it, which prompted a faint hissing from the device. The contents of the vile were drained. When finished, Starfire set the device on her dresser.

She waited while a tingling sensation crept through her body, starting at her arm, then working its way through her chest, abdomen and most acutely through her genitals. She shivered at the sensation, as she only used the device once before, just to ensure it functioned as advertised. Now was the real test.

Starfire walked to her bed again, and caressed Robin's body. He was still shivering and breathing rapidly. She reached over him and gently removed his mask. Setting it aside, she looked into his eyes; they were a lovely blue color, but were also bloodshot from his emotional state.

She stood up and went to the foot of the bed. Sighing, she then removed Robin's pants and boxer shorts, leaving him naked. She placed them with the rest of his uniform.

She then stared at Robin, admiring him for a few minutes. Feeling sufficiently confident, she then began to disrobe.

Once naked, she then laid in bed with Robin. "Please Robin, cooperate with me!" she whispered. She laid him on his back.

"Starfire?" he whispered. She shushed him.

"It is alright. Just trust me."

Robin stared at her. He felt aroused now, but still was in a mental fog, not totally aware of all that was going on. Starfire kissed him.

"You may be my leader, but you are still my boy." she said, and kissed him again. "Soon, you will be my _man._"

With that, she began to make love to him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Beast Boy and Terra had fallen asleep in her bed together, both emotionally exhausted. They had been napping for nearly an hour when Beast Boy woke up. He rubbed his eyes and tried to figure out what all had happened.

He then noticed Terra next to him, still asleep. He then recalled everything and sighed. He stared at her again. She looked so vulnerable to him, so peaceful, so beautiful. An irresistible urge came upon him. At first, he tried to fight it off, but the stress of the day had left his mental defenses drained.

He walked to the foot of the bed and began to remove Terra's shorts. Suddenly, she woke up! Beast Boy promptly put his hands behind his back. "Uh, good morning?" he said, nervously.

Terra nodded at him and got off the bed. She then stretched, cracking a few joints. Beast Boy found himself gawking at her. She then went to her dresser and noticed something odd about herself in the mirror. She looked down at herself to confirm what she saw. "Why are my shorts so low on me?" she asked, adjusting them to their proper place.

Beast Boy blushed, suppressing a grin. Terra glared at him.

"Did you do that?" she asked.

"Well..." he replied.

"You did, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but..."

"What for? To check out my underwear?"

"No, of course not!"

"Well then, what..." She then glared at him. "You wanted to have sex, didn't you?"

"What makes you think that?" Beast Boy replied, rather quickly. His face was even redder.

Terra then smiled at him. "Because that's what I would do, if I was in your position."

Beast Boy stared at her, his mouth hanging open. "You mean if _you_ woke up first, you'd try to have sex with me?"

Terra shrugged, smiling. "If I had the urge to, yes."

Beast Boy sat down on the bed, shocked at this behavior from Terra.

"What?" she said. "I'm human too!"

"Yeah, I know!" he replied. "This is just...so...not like you!"

"Hey, no one is being normally lately, now are they?"

"Yeah, I guess so." He stood up. "So, um...you still want to...you know?"

Terra glared at him. "Maybe some other time, when _I_ feel the urge, too."

"Oh, okay." Beast Boy sighed and faced the window.

Terra's mannerism had caught him off guard. He always figured her as being a _nice_ girl. Her behavior a few minutes ago was something out of left field.

Then, he was caught off guard again by Terra; she yanked his pants down to his ankles. He gasped. "What are you doing?" he exclaimed, pulling his pants up.

"Well, since you saw my underwear, I figured I'd get even!"

"I didn't really _see_ yours, you know."

"Oh." Terra shrugged, and turned away from him. She started humming.

Beast Boy stared at her and took the hint; Terra was giving him a chance to get even. Smiling, he snuck behind her and yanked her shorts to her ankles. "There!" he proclaimed.

Giggling, Terra pulled her shorts up again. "There, now we're even!" she said. "You seem to be feeling better too, you know."

"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For helping me! I don't think I could handle a breakdown like what Robin's going through."

"Don't worry, Star will take care of him." She hugged him. "Just like I will take care of you!"

He returned the embrace. "But who's going to take care of Cyborg?" he asked.

"I guess the both of us." she replied.

Beast Boy smiled. "Let's go then!" he said, holding her hand as he ran out of the room, a playful expression on both of their faces.

The love making in Starfire's room had gone on for nearly an hour. When she finished, she laid next to Robin. He was no longer shivering, and seemed quite normal.

She hoped she had helped him. His eyes were closed. Still admiring him, she leaned over and kissed him. He opened his eyes. "What did I miss?" he asked, his mind in a dreamlike state.

"An act of love." she replied, smiling.

Robin then realized where he was and what had transpired. He gasped. "We...did we just have sex?"

Starfire nodded a broad grin on her face. "It seems to have helped you." she said.

Robin sat up, almost in a panic. He was about to get dressed, but Starfire held him down, her hands on his shoulders. "Did...was it really a necessary risk?" he stammered.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean...you know what could happen?"

"What?"

"Weren't you worried about getting pregnant?"

"I took that into consideration." She pointed to her dresser. Robin noticed the syringe-like device.

"What is that?" he asked.

"It is, essentially, the equal of birth control pills. You inject it rather than swallow it."

"Oh." was all Robin could say. He relaxed. "Well, um, what possessed you to have sex with me?"

"I recall reading that intercourse can relieve stress. Since you were overstressed, I thought it appropriate to engage in intercourse with you. Besides, we are close enough in our relationship for that, are we not?"

"I...I don't know." He sighed. "If you think so, then I think maybe we are."

"Thank you for seeing it my way, Robin." Starfire embraced him. "You are my man, and I love you!"

He returned the embrace. "I love you too, Star. And thanks."

"I think we ought to get dressed." said Robin.

Starfire nodded. "Perhaps we should also wash ourselves."

"Yeah. Um, in separate showers, of course!"

"Of course!" she giggled.

Robin dressed in his uniform and left Starfire's room. She stared at the door for a moment before getting ready for her shower. She smiled, pleased with herself that she was victorious in reliving Robin's stress. She hoped that future encounters with him would not be as drastic.

Nearly half an hour later, both of the Titans went into the lounge. To their delight, Cyborg, Terra, and Beast Boy were engaged in a video game.

Robin smiled. "Looks like the tough part is over." he said. "I hope we can get through the rest as easy as this."

Starfire nodded. "We can be assured on one thing; the Rekmus will not occur anytime soon for us!"

Robin nodded in agreement. He could only pray that she was right.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Another day had passed without incident, a situation that Robin knew couldn't last. Nevertheless, the Titans used the time to plan the funeral and memorial for Raven. Robin agreed to give the eulogy and had written several drafts. He finally arrived at what seemed a concise, yet sufficient, speech. He figured Raven would approve of it. He decided to keep it hidden, so that his friends would be hearing it for the first time, like everyone else, when he read it at the funeral.

As for attendance, Cyborg took it upon himself to manage it. The Titans East, a number of the Justice League members, including Batman, and a few other honorary Titans agreed to be present. And to Robin's surprise, and delight, Nightwing was also attending.

Robin recalled when he first met him, when he first fought alongside Batman. Then, he still thought of himself as Tim Drake. Now, he was Robin, the Boy Wonder and leader of the Teen Titans. He was afraid that now, he would also be recognized at having a member of his team commit suicide. He would not be surprised if Batman took him back with him. He might even have to give up being Robin. He wasn't sure if he could do that. Perhaps Nightwing might take him in, if that was the case. He knew that he didn't always agree with Batman. He hoped he would be there for him if it came to that.

The day had now arrived, and the guests had begun to show up. The each gave condolences to the Titans. Beast Boy took it upon himself to introduce Terra to the guests, as well as providing refreshments. Starfire also greeted the guest and noted just how crowded the roof of Titans Tower was becoming. 'All these people have come to pay respects to friend Raven.' she thought. 'She meant more to others than she realized.' She sighed.

An hour after the guests' arrival, Robin announced the beginning of the ceremony. Given that there were no chairs, everyone had to stand. Robin stood at a makeshift podium that Cyborg had made. He got everyone's attention.

"Good morning," he began. "Nice to see all of you here. As you all know, we're here to remember a fallen comrade. Not all of you knew her, but you are probably aware of what she has done for us all, as well as the world. So, I shall provide you with something with which I hope she would have approved of, in hopes that you will remember her as my team and I do."

Robin took a deep breath, and began the eulogy.

"Her name was Raven. She had a dark history, but was dedicated to doing good, fighting along side her teammates. She was a great friend, despite her reclusive behavior. For years, though, she harbored a secret, a secret about her past; that she was destined to end the world. She fought against her destiny for all her life. But one day, destiny caught up with her. At long last, she turned to her friends for help and comfort in getting through the difficult times ahead.

Unknown to her friends, though, she realized an unorthodox way to save the world; to save her friends, and our world, she must sacrifice her life. It was by no means an easy decision for her to come to, no doubt about that, but she carried it out. She felt this sacrifice was neither in vain, nor empty, and we will not question her wisdom on that matter. Thanks to her sacrifice, the end of the world will not come. What more, is that she used her dying energy to bring back another lost friend of ours."

He paused to look at Terra. She had tears in her eyes.

Robin continued. "From this day forth, we owe our lives to the bravest person I have ever known." He sighed again. "Raven, wherever you may be, we thank you. Rest in peace, friend."

With that, he stepped down from the podium. All the guests erupted in applause, many wiping tears out of their eyes.

The guests dispersed, either talking amongst themselves, or to the other Titans. As Robin walked through the crowd, a familiar figure approached him. 'Oh god." he thought.

It was Batman. "Nice eulogy." he said.

"Thanks." Robin replied.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure."

They walked to a mostly vacant area on the roof. From a distance, Nightwing watched them. 'Please don't be hard on the kid.' he thought.

"I can imagine how hard this must be for you." Batman said.

"You have no idea." Robin replied.

"I have somewhat of an idea."

"Your parents' death, right?"

"I know it's not the same. Someone took their lives. For you, Raven took her own life."

"She wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for Slade and Trigon."

"I've heard of Slade, but who's Trigon?"

"Her father. A demon, from what Raven's told us. A really powerful demon."

"Oh." Batman sighed. "At least she had you and your team as a family."

"Yeah. I wish she would've talked to us more about what was going on, instead of just killing herself."

"She thought she did the right thing, just as you said in your eulogy."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed. "Some leader I turned out to be."

"What do you mean?"

"Once, I didn't trust my team when I took it upon myself to try and catch Slade. Then, I had to turn against them! Later on, we took in a team member who later betrayed us, and nearly killed us in the process!"

"That girl, Terra? She redeemed herself, didn't she?"

"How'd you know who...?"

"Your little green friend."

"Oh. Well, anyway, then something like _this_ happens! A team member kills herself, and we're holding a funeral for her!" Robin let out a heavy sigh. "Maybe someone else should lead the Titans."

Batman put a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Robin, considering all that you and your team have gone through, I can't think of a better man to lead them than you."

Robin stared at him. "Really?"

"Of course!" Batman replied. "You're stronger than you know. You've come a long way since I've know you, exceeding my expectations. You're the ideal person to lead the Titans."

Tears welled up in Robin's eyes. He then embraced his mentor.

From his vantage point, Nightwing watched the exchange with interest. When he saw Robin hugging Batman, he smiled. 'Never was so gentle with me.' he thought. 'He's getting soft!'

Elsewhere on the roof, Terra loitered near the refreshments table. She was trying to dry her eyes, but with not much success, when a man approached her.

"You Terra?" he asked. She turned to face him and gasped; he had no face.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"They call me the Question. Sorry about your friend."

"Thanks. Did you want something?"

"Just to offer a proposition."

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"What if I told you that I can help you with your friend?"

Terra glared at him. "What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that you're friend can live again."

Terra gasped. "How? And what do I have to do?"

"Just be patient. We'll have to talk to a friend of mine."

Terra nodded and followed him. 'Even if I had to make a deal with the devil,' she thought, 'I'd do it just to have one more minute with Raven.'

She hoped what the Question had in mind was something less drastic, but with longer lasting results.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"You can't be serious!" Booster Gold said.

He, the Question, and Terra stood on the rocky shore at the base of the Tower.

"Gold, you know me well enough that I don't kid around in issues like this." the Question told him.

The golden hero sat down. "And just what is she supposed to do, anyway?"

"Simple." said Terra. "I make Raven change her mind about killing herself. With any luck, I'll be successful in convincing her."

"Yeah," Gold began. "And in the meantime, the end of the world will now be upon us."

"My friends can help stop it!" Terra exclaimed.

"But they'll have to do it without you. If Raven doesn't die, then she doesn't save you!"

"I know." Terra sighed. "But I'd rather her live and me be stone than go through life knowing she had to sacrifice herself for me!"

Booster Gold stood up and paced in a circle.

"So," the Question began. "Can it be done?"

He glared at him. "What's your interest in this anyway? Don't you normally track down the latest government conspiracy or some shit like that?"

Question sighed and stared out to sea. "I have my reasons."

Terra stared at him. "You had someone you know commit suicide?"

"I don't want to talk about it." he replied, tersely.

Terra nodded, then regarded Booster Gold. "So, are you going to help us?"

He sighed. "Sure, why not? Not every day you get a chance to help someone save a friend. Too bad no one will know about it."

"Does it really matter?"

"No. Well, we better get back to the Watch Tower and get to work, huh Question?"

"Sure," he said. "I'll call you when we're ready, Terra."

"Fine. You know my number."

Terra remained on the shore while the two men left. She shuddered at the prospect that laid ahead. 'Or in this case, behind.'

She smiled at that thought and went back inside the Tower.

That night, the Titans gathered on the roof again (their guests had departed a few hours earlier), with Starfire holding Raven's urn. They all stared out to sea, watching the sun set. Robin felt fortunate; they managed to see the spectacular green flash as the sun went down. It was a rarity to see. Beast Boy felt a special connection to it as well.

"Well," Cyborg said. "I guess it's time."

They others nodded. "Goodbye, Raven." Robin said. "We'll never forget you."

Starfire then started to cry.

"Do you want me to handle it?" Terra asked her.

"No," she replied. "I can still do this."

She heaved a sigh and flew off, staying low near the water. She then opened the urn, and scattered the ashes over the water. When it was empty, Starfire paused in her flight. Then, she dropped the urn itself into the water and returned to the roof.

Still crying, she hugged Robin.

"That's it, then. It's over." said Robin.

"All we have of Raven now is memories." Cyborg said.

"Don't forget her mirror." Beast Boy added.

"Come on, let's go in." Robin said, leading Starfire with him.

They all went in the lounge, except for Robin and Starfire.

"I'll take her to her room." he said, making way for his room.

"So," Beast Boy said. "What now?"

Terra looked at him. "Show me that mirror you talked about, Beast Boy." she told him. "I'd like to see it."

He nodded and led her to his room. Cyborg watched them leave, having an idea of what Terra probably wanted with him. He figured Robin and Starfire would be up to the same thing, and smiled. Seeing nothing better to do, he set up the Gamestation.

Beast Boy brought Terra to his room. She looked around and saw that his room was cleaned up since last time she saw it. Beast Boy went to his dresser and picked up Raven's mirror.

"Here it is." he said.

She took it from his hands. "It's beautiful." she said. "I never knew Raven would have something so beautiful."

"Yeah," Beast Boy said. "That's about what Cyborg and I said when we first saw it."

"What was so special about it? Was it a gift or something?"

"It was a portal into her mind. We saw all sorts of weird stuff there, including her different, um, personalities."

"No shit?"

"No shit."

"So, you sort of knew her better then, huh?"

"Kind of. We all knew her in different ways. Robin seemed to understand her most." He sighed. "I wish I knew her like he did."

"Why?"

"I don't know, I just did. She was always so mysterious, so creepy."

"Least you knew why."

"Yeah, I guess." He sighed and sat down on his bed.

Terra set the mirror back on his dresser and sat next to him. She started rubbing his back.

"You know," she said. "I'm feeling that urge we talked about a few days ago."

Beast Boy stared at her. "You serious?"

She nodded. Beast Boy got up and rummaged through a drawer. He pulled out a box of condoms.

Terra smiled at him. "Glad to see you're responsible!" she said.

He smiled back at her. "I hope I can impress you in other ways!"

With that, he disrobed. Terra giggled at him and also undressed.

"You've been working out, I see." Beast Boy remarked.

"Not so bad yourself." she replied, lying down on the bed. "Now, how about you put that condom on and show me what you're made of, huh?"

Beast Boy blushed profusely. "I love it when you're pushy!" he said, doing as he was told. "Babe, I should warn you, I am a party animal!"

He crawled in the bed, on top of her. "Show me what you can do then, animal!" Terra said, kissing him.

He returned her kiss and began to make love to her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Terra sat up in the bed, unsure what had awakened her. Outside the window, she saw a thunderstorm was tormenting Jump City. Rain and hail pounded against the tower, while nearly continuous flashes of lightning streaked the sky. Occasionally, thunder also added to the commotion.

Terra got out of the bed slowly so as not to awaken Beast Boy. She stood at the window, still naked, and stared at nature's spectacle. She sighed and hung her head, staring at her feet. 'I wonder if this is how Raven felt on her last night alive.' she thought.

It pained her to think that she was about to leave the Titans again; that they would loose another friend. And yet, things would be different; history itself would change, if she was successful. Raven would be alive, while Terra would still be a stone statue. For her, it was as if she was going off to kill herself. But then, was she really dead, or just in a state of limbo, like suspended animation? Whatever it was, she wasn't looking forward to being that way again.

She sighed again, considering her next move. She looked longingly at Beast Boy. She had made love to him not only to ease her pain, but also for the shear experience of it, something to remember him by when she left on her fateful mission. Her mind ached for future encounters with him, but she knew that wasn't possible now. Near tears, she gathered her clothes and left for her room.

She was about to open her door when Starfire flew by.

"Good evening, friend Terra." she said to her, startling her.

"Um, evening Star." she said nervously. She hadn't bothered getting dressed and tried to cover herself with the clothes she held in her hands.

Starfire was about to move on when she stared back at Terra.

"Terra, why are you not wearing your clothes?"

Her face burned with embarrassment. "Um, I'm not wearing them? Gee, that's so weird!"

Starfire glared at her. "Can I talk with you in your room?"

Terra sighed and nodded. The two girls went in, Starfire closing the door behind her. Terra turned on a lamp on a small dresser next to her bed. Uncaring, she tossed her clothes on the bed and sat down, staring at the floor.

Starfire looked at her in concern. "Um, Terra? I find it distracting to talk to you if you are not clothed." she said.

Terra glanced at her in confusion. "Why is that?"

"I do not feel it right for me to be clothed and you not clothed."

"Oh." She went to a hanger and put on her robe. "Better?" she asked.

"Very much so." the Tameranean replied. "Now, why were you naked in the first place?"

'Might as well tell her.' Terra thought. 'Got nothing to hide, now do I?'

She took a deep breath. "I had sex with Beast Boy earlier. I then got up not long ago and thought no one would be awake, and didn't bother getting dressed. Simple enough, huh?"

Starfire stared at her. "Oh. Well, if it is all the same, I had sex as well, only with Robin."

Terra glanced at her, smiling. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I am not surprised either that you experienced sex with Beast Boy."

"Really?"

"Yes. Although, you do seem rather young for a human female to experience that, yes?"

"Yeah, I know. I just...couldn't help it. I wanted it. Besides, I've heard of girls younger than me getting laid."

"What is 'getting laid?'"

"Slang for having sex."

"Oh. I shall have to educate myself on such terms."

"You do that." Terra sighed, wishing for Starfire to leave.

The alien girl sensed something about her. "Is there something bothering you, friend Terra?"

"No, not really."

"Is it about Raven?"

"Well...yes and no. I feel so guilty that I'm alive and she's not. It's like we can't exist in together, alive and as friends! I hate it. I wish she was here."

She started to cry. Starfire stood up and pulled Terra to her feet.

"No matter why your feelings are Terra, we are here for you."

With that, she hugged her. Terra returned the embrace, hugging Starfire with all her strength. She then turned her head and kissed her on the cheek.

Starfire blinked at that, and then returned her friend's kiss. A tear ran down her face and landed on Terra's hair.

"Goodnight, friend!" she said, emotionally.

"Goodnight, Star." Terra replied.

Starfire left the room, smiling back at Terra as she went. Terra sat on the bed again, sighing. She then reached for the lamp and turned it off, leaving the room in darkness, a darkness broken only by a flash of lightning.

She then discarded her robe and laid down on the bed, crying.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

It was still dark when a beeping noise awakened Terra. Groaning, she got out of bed and put on her robe, and picked up her communicator.

"Hello?" she said into it.

It was Question. "Morning, sunshine." he said.

"What time is it?" Terra asked.

"Should be quarter after six, your time."

"This had better be good. I'm not a morning person."

"So I see. Thought you'd like to know we're all ready over here for your little _trip_."

Terra's expression brightened a bit. "Alright, I'll shower and meet you on the roof."

"Actually, I was going to use our transporter."

"Is that thing safe?"

"If it wasn't, I wouldn't be using it, now would I?"

"Okay, fine. What the hell, it works on _Star Trek_."

"I'll make the preparations. Question out." He terminated the transmission.

Terra picked up her showering supplies and went to the common restroom. She locked the door, hung up her robe and turned on the shower.

She enjoyed the sensation, feeling cleansed of her apprehension. Her mind still turned to the passion she experienced with Beast Boy. She felt sadness once more at that thought; now that she had made love to him, she wanted more. But she knew that wasn't possible. She had to save Raven, no matter what her feelings were.

She forced herself to think more of Raven and how to convince her to stay alive. She then felt she ought to bring proof she was from the future, or else Raven would doubt her. But what?

She suddenly realized what would work and smiled. "You're a genius." she said to herself.

She quickly rinsed and dried off. She put her robe on, grabbed her stuff and left. Once in her room, she hurriedly dressed and put on her shoes. She then rummaged the top of her drawer and found what she sought; Raven's letter. She pocketed it and left for the roof.

She opened her communicator and called the Watch Tower. Thankfully, Question answered.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Yes, beam away." she replied.

Terra was then bathed in a brilliant light that was so intense, it seemed opaque. She then found herself in unfamiliar surroundings; the Watch Tower.

"Well, I made it!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah," said the voice of Booster Gold. "But you look a little odd."

Terra glanced at him, then at herself and gasped. Her head was backwards!

"What the fuck did you do!" she yelled.

"Sorry!" Question said. "I couldn't resist!"

He made adjustments to the controls. As she waited, Terra suddenly looked down at her rear.

"I never knew my ass was _that_ big!"

"I'm sure it's all muscle." said an electronic voice.

Before Terra could comment, the beam of light surrounded her again. When it subsided, she was still in the watch tower, but back to normal. She looked around and saw a floating robot, who she assumed made the comment to her.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"This is Skeet." Booster Gold said. "He's my friend."

Terra glared at the robot. "Nice to meet you." she said. "Are you always so handy with compliments like that?"

"Not always," the little robot said. "But often."

"Okay, enough comedy." Question said. "Time to send this little lady on her trip."

The group left transport room. They eventually went to some sort of high tech laboratory with a ring shaped device at one end. Terra assumed this was the time travel device.

"I'll set up the device." Booster Gold said. Skeet followed him, hovering over his shoulder. Terra paced the room, waiting patiently and nervously.

It seemed hours to her before Question tapped her on the shoulder.

"Its time." he told her.

Terra nodded. She noticed an electric buzzing noise filled the room and electrical arcing from the metal ring she saw earlier.

"How will you know _when_ to send me?" she asked Gold.

"The device can look back in time to a particular destination."

Terra then thought of something. "Um, can this thing send me to her room, or do I have to go explain everything to everyone else on this tub and transport down there?"

"You'll be sent down there, don't worry." Skeet explained.

A new noise filled the room; the electrical buzzing was louder now, sounding like tearing fabric. A breeze also was in the room, rife with the smell of ozone.

"Okay Terra, we've got it." Booster Gold said. "I'll set you outside Raven's room at quarter till midnight on the night she killed herself."

"That'll be good." she replied.

She walked to the vortex, in which she faintly saw the hallway of Titans Tower. She turned to face the others in the room.

"Thank you all, for everything." she said.

"Go make history, kid." Question said.

Terra nodded. With that, she stepped through the vortex and vanished.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Raven sat in her room, in complete solitude. She had her hood up, concealing the stoic expression on her face. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, yet her face showed no emotion. She was trying to be as calm about her situation as possible.

She stroked the smooth, metal barrel of the 9mm Beretta she held in her hand.

Suddenly, she heard a loud knocking at her door. 'Who the hell is that, and what would they want?' she thought.

She quickly hid the gun and went to the door, opening it. She gasped at the sight of the person on the other side. "Terra!" she whispered.

Terra forced her way past Raven into her room and glared at her.

Raven stared at her, dumbfounded, and closed the door.

"What...how'd you get here?" she asked.

Terra stared at her for a moment, then hugged her tightly and kissed her on the cheek. She then stepped back from her, tears flowing down her face.

"How are you here, Terra?" Raven asked her.

Terra heaved a sigh and sat down on Raven's bed.

"I know what you're about to do, Raven." she said. "And I'm here to stop you."

Raven stared at her. "I...I don't know what you mean."

"Don't bullshit me, Raven. Here, look at this." She took out her letter. Raven looked at it in shock. "How did you get this?" she asked.

"I came from the future, after you killed yourself. Or rather, after your funeral."

"My funeral? So it worked then?"

"Yeah, your plan worked. Worked at making everyone miserable."

"Didn't they understand my intentions from what my letter said?"

"Yeah, but that didn't make the pain any easier. Besides, this was my call."

"Your call?"

"Well, a couple of the Justice League members came and offered to help me. I felt guilty about your sacrifice, so I agreed to do it."

"So you let them tell you what to do?"

"No, they only wanted to help. I accepted it."

"And went against my wishes."

"You never said anything about not stopping you."

"I was going to save the world! And if you stop me, then my father will come here and destroy you all!"

"Can't the other Titans stop him?"

"No, they can't. There's no stopping him from coming."

"Well, can't they fight him?"

"Are you serious?"

"You bet I'm serious."

"Trigon's a demon! He's the root of all evil! It's not like fighting Slade or any other villain we've fought! He's way beyond anything we've encountered!"

"Look, the Titans have done the impossible many times before, right? So, why can't you have faith in your friends, just as they have faith in you?"

"This is not about having faith in my friends. It's about doing what's right."

"Is it right to leave your friends in pain and feeling guilt?"

"Look, if I didn't kill myself, then you'd still be a statue! Did you ever think of that?"

"Yeah, I did. And I'd rather be statue than live with the guilt knowing that I'm alive because of your death."

"Then maybe I shouldn't bring you back to life then."

"Go ahead. One of the other Titans will come back and stop you."

Raven sighed in frustration. "What is it with you people? Why can't you let me die?"

"Because we care for you and love you, that's why!" Terra exclaimed, once again in tears.

She let herself fall of the bed, and was on her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

Raven stared at her, tears welling up in her eyes. Seeing Terra as she was brought a new revelation into her actions. True, the world would be saved from destruction, but what good was that if she left her friends in pain over her loss?

She walked to the far side of her bed and picked up her gun. Terra stood up and looked at her. Raven glanced at her, and then went to the window. She opened it and tossed the gun out.

"You sure know how to influence people." she said, smiling.

Terra grinned and rushed over to hug Raven. She returned the embrace.

"I love you, Raven." Terra said.

Raven rubbed her back and was about to kiss her...but she was gone!

Raven gasped, and then realized what happened. Future history was changed, and Terra was stone again.

Raven collapsed on the floor and started crying.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Weeks had passed since Raven's encounter with Terra. As she anticipated, the end did come.

Her father arrived through her, reducing the world to a burnt wasteland. But thanks to her, the Titans _were_ able to fight back and save her from whatever fate may have fallen upon her had they not been there. And thanks to them, she found the courage and strength to fight back against Trigon and banish him from Earth.

They had returned to Titans Tower and celebrated their victory. Late that night, though, Raven's mood was far from joyous.

"You were right, Terra." she muttered to herself, looking out the window. "You were right."

Tears flowed from her eyes freely. "I wish you could've seen it."

She knelt down and sobbed, rather loudly. Shortly afterwards, she heard a knocking on her door. 'Who could that be?' Raven thought.

A glimmer of hope crossed her mind. Was this Terra, from some future time coming to tell her all would be well? She rushed to the door and opened it; it was Robin.

"I thought I heard you crying." he said, concern in his voice. "Mind if I come in?"

Raven sighed. "Sure." She stepped aside, letting him in.

Robin looked around her room. "You plan on redecorating anytime?" he asked.

"No." Raven said. "It's still part of who I am. Most of my tastes are still the same."

"Most of them?"

"Well, I don't have to be so reclusive and creepy now."

"Creepy? Who says you're creepy?"

"No one." she lied, not wanted Robin to be on Beast Boy's case for something he said months ago. "It's just...how I compare to the rest of you. You all are so social, while I have so many strange ways."

"Well, I never though you were creepy. Just misunderstood."

"Thanks."

"Sure." He sighed. "Now, why were you crying?"

"Did I wake you?"

"No, but I heard you on the way back from the bathroom."

"Oh." She sighed and sat down on the bed. "You know how you said that I have so much hope inside myself? That I inspired you?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, not long after our encounter with Slade at the old library, I had a plan that I came up with on my own." She took a deep breath. "I planned on killing myself."

Robin was aghast. "What...why?"

"I realized that if I was destroyed, there would be no portal for Trigon, thus preventing the end of the world."

"That's...that's rather drastic, don't you think? Sacrificing your life for the world?"

"I know. But it would've been worth it."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't do it."

"Don't thank me. Thank Terra."

"Terra? What did she have to do with it?"

"You see, I apparently _did_ succeed at my plan. Part of it was to use all my life energy and powers to restore Terra to life. And I did. Well, after my funeral, she got some help by the Justice League to travel back in time and stop me. And that's what happened. She stopped me, and ever since, I've been feeling guilt for that."

Robin could hardly believe what he was hearing. "So...what did Terra do after she saved you?"

"She vanished. Since she changed history, I couldn't bring her to life, and she just disappeared right in my arms."

"What was she doing in your arms?"

"I was hugging her." Raven started to cry again.

Robin rushed over to her to support her and laid her on the bed. "I'm sorry Raven." he said.

"For what?" she asked.

"I should've tried harder to be there for you. If I had been, you might not have this pain inside you."

Raven sighed. "Well, at least I know it's possible to save her. I just have to find a way that doesn't involve sacrificing my life."

"I know you will." Robin said, hugging her. She returned his embrace, hugging him as she did when she saved the world. Then, she kissed him. He was surprised.

"Um...Let's keep that to a minimum, okay?" he said.

"Sure." Raven chuckled. "'Night, Robin." she called to him as he left her room.

He waved awkwardly at her before closing the door.

Raven laid down again, and sighed.

"I'll bring you back one day, Terra." she muttered. "I promise that."

She took off her shoes, cloak, and belt and laid down to sleep.

She managed to smile at a thought she had; she was, at last, the master of her own destiny.

**The End**


End file.
